Giordana Sahara bib shorts review

Name: Giordana Sahara bib shorts review
Item: Giordana Sahara bib shorts review
Rating: 3.5

The lightweight bibs for hot weather

Our rating

3.5

By Russell Eich

August 12, 2016 at 6:00 pm

Our review

Light and airy bibs with straps and seams that are a bit too much
Buy if, You ride in sweltering heat and/or are an uphill specialist who demands the lightest weight

Pros: Very light, very breathable, excellent chamois

Cons: A few odd seam junctions, wide, strong straps

Skip to view product specifications

Giordana’s Sahara bib shorts are built for, you guessed it, hot weather riding. With purposeful breathability and focused compression, they’re also aimed at uphill specialists whose goal is to minimize weight.

Giordana’s Sahara bib shorts come in three colorways and Small – XX-Large sizes

Courtesy

Giordana Sahara bib shorts specs

Giordana’s lightest weight bib short yet
Developed for the hottest days in the saddle and the steepest climbs
Ergonomic fit
Compression
1on1 Paneling System – one panel, one seam per leg technology
Breathable core and back panels that shed heat quickly while keeping everything in place
Perforated bib straps
Dual stretch bib straps with stability enhancement
Mesh-like breathable leg band
Giordana rubber logo
Cirro S chamois

The fit and ride

Pulling on the Saharas, the material has a distinctive mesh pattern to it. It definitely made me double check the mirror to see just how opaque or not they were. Thankfully, they provide proper coverage.

The Sahara bibs fit is tight. Giordana claims compression as one of the bib’s main features, and the squeeze put on my not-that-big legs was certainly noticeable. If someone claims these bibs are anything but snug, tell them to go eat a cheeseburger.

One panel and one seam per leg maximizes compression

Russell Eich / Immediate Media

The legs feature Giordana’s 1on1 Paneling System which basically means one panel per leg for consistent compression. The single leg construction continues to the bottom seam, which has a perforated ultra thin layer underneath. Throughout my rides, the legs stayed put and were comfortable. I even grew to enjoy the slight compression. Whether or not it gave me a boost in speed is entirely up for debate.

I wore the Saharas in hot conditions and was pleased with the ventilation, especially the upper back panel which is fully mesh. They are definitely lightweight as well, so that certainly helped with the heat factor. Bombing down descents a breeze can definitely be felt through the Saharas, and in my experience it was always welcome after sweating my way to the top.

The upper back is a very breathable mesh

Russell Eich / Immediate Media

The Cirro S chamois felt soft and protective and its position worked well with my sit bones. Miles added up with nary a thought to my underside, which is high praise for any chamois. Despite its performance it’s not a bulky chamois, I could feel my saddle underneath which was totally acceptable.

Giordana’s Cirro S chamois provides the padding

Russell Eich / Immediate Media

While the legs and chamois hit the mark for me, a couple things didn’t. One potential negative, I say potential as everyone is different, is where the bibs in front connect with the shorts. This junction sees three panels as well as the bibs all joining in roughly one spot. Because of that, the seams are definitely noticeable to me. Even with an undershirt there’s a pronounced bulge of material. Perhaps if the legs weren’t so smooth and well-crafted it wouldn’t stand out as much as it did.

A lot of seams meet here, potentially fouling a steller bib

Russell Eich / Immediate Media

Another personal struggle I had with the Saharas involved the bib straps themselves. They’re 45mm wide and didn’t line up with my body in a comfortable way. I felt like the elastic needed some stretching as they were seriously tugging on my shoulders, but of course your fit will likely differ.